The Sardinian Regional Administrative Court (TAR) has blocked the slaughter of "healthy and vaccinated" cattle from a farm in Orotelli where cases of lumpy skin disease had been recorded.
Veterinarians from the Nuoro Local Health Authority were expected at 2:30 PM today: they were supposed to slaughter the entire herd. The decree issued by managing director Oscar Marongiu suspended the procedure , accepting the arguments of lawyers Raffaele Soddu and Gian Michele Canio. This represents yet another step in the management of the epidemic—there are 50 active outbreaks in Sardinia, with the spread slowing thanks in part to the vaccination campaign—which in some respects leaves farmers perplexed.
The discovery of dermatitis cases among Francesco Salis's herd dates back to July 16th. Immediately, "the slaughter of all bovine animals kept on the farm" was ordered. On August 8th, the company received another communication: veterinarians would arrive today at 2:30 PM, barring any work delays, to proceed.
According to the appeal against the provision, the culling would have affected all animals without distinction, even "if healthy and regularly vaccinated".
The Regional Administrative Court (TAR) judge did not rule on the merits (the hearing is scheduled for September 3rd) but found that "the requirement of extreme gravity and urgency" existed for the adoption of a suspension order. The reason: "The execution of the slaughter of the cattle in the next few hours would be irreversible, irreparably impacting the lives of animals, which today find express constitutional protection in the amended Article 9 of the Constitution and which, among other things, has been elevated to an autonomous protected legal right (...) and would deprive the collegiate decision of any usefulness."